Religion Rail

Abrahamic: (aka Abramic) A group of religions that recognize Abraham as a patriarch. This includes Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Sometimes the Baha'i Faith is included in the list. Many smaller non-Jewish groups such as Samaritans, Falashas and Karaits also trace their spiritual roots to Abraham, but they are not often cited as Abrahamic religions. – Religioustolerance.org

Good Book?

Robert Alter, a professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California Berkeley, has published a new translation of the Psalms, “The Book of Psalms.” Among the most noteworthy absences from his version is the soul. Why Psalms with no soul and no salvation? Alter said that those are concepts superimposed on the poems in recent times. - NPR

Sacred Days

Sept. 27: Beginning of Sukkot (aka Feast of Booths): An eight-day Jewish festival of booths (or tabernacles) and the fall harvest. The name refers to the booths used by Israelites during desert wanderings and constructed in the fields during the harvest season. It is a time of thanksgiving for God's. – Wikipedia.org

Sept. 29: Michaelmas (aka Michael and All Angels; Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael): A day to honor the Archangel Michael. Because it falls near the equinox, it is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days. – Wikipedia.org

Survey Says

The Muslim and Mormon religions have gained increasing national visibility in recent years, yet most Americans say they know little or nothing about either religion's practices, and large majorities say that their own religion is very different from Islam and Mormonism. Public impressions of both religions are hazy – 58 percent say they know little or nothing about Islam's practices, while 51 percent have little or no awareness of the precepts and practices of Mormonism. The national survey found that 53 percent say they have a favorable opinion of Mormons, while an identical percentage views Muslim Americans favorably. - Pew Forum

Happy Anniversary

On Sept. 29, 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt laid the foundation stone of the Washington National Cathedral and sent laborers to work with these words: "Godspeed the work begun this noon." It would take workers 83 years to complete the $65 million Protestant Episcopal church. The National Cathedral has accumulated an impressive guest list: Every president of the United States after Roosevelt has visited the cathedral, as has Queen Elizabeth II. Martin Luther King Jr. preached his last Sunday sermon there, and the cathedral was recently the site for funerals for Presidents Reagan and Ford. The cathedral is an architectural marvel and is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world. - NPR

Happy Anniversary, Part II

Oct. 1 marks the 50th anniversary of the appearance of “In God We Trust” on the paper currency of the United States. An overwhelming majority of Americans support using “In God We Trust” on the country’s currency and as the national motto. A 2003 Gallup poll found that 90 percent of respondents approved of the use of the motto on coins. A 2004 Gallup poll found that a similar majority expressed support for retaining the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. - Pew Forum

Costa Rica Threatens 'Jesus'

Jesus will face deportation if he goes to Costa Rica again. InsideCostaRica.com reported that José Luis de Jesús Miranda – who refers to himself as “the Antichrist” or “Jesus Christ in the the flesh” and sports a 666 tattoo on his arm – entered the country as a tourist but started preaching, a violation of his visa. The country says that if he tries that again, he’ll be kicked out. Miranda is the founder and leader of Creciendo en Gracia (Growing In Grace International Ministry Inc.), which is based in Miami.

Devil’s Bible Returns to Prague

A Bible rumoured to have been written with the help of the devil has been returned to Prague for the first time in 350 years. The 13th-century Codex Gigas, which is 3 feet long and weighs 165 pounds, is thought to be the biggest book in the world and is known as the Devil’s Bible due to a supposed satanic bargain made by its author. The legend says that a monk, sentenced to be walled up and die a slow death for an unutterable sin, promised to write out the world’s biggest Bible in return for his freedom. With just one night to produce it, he enlisted the help of the devil. The Bible was looted by Swedish soldiers from Prague at the end of the Thirty Years War in 1648 and taken to Stockholm. Until now, Swedish authorities have refused to lend it to the Czech Republic, which regards the Bible as stolen property. - Telegraph

Religion Around the World

Religious makeup of Burma (Myanmar):

Buddhist: 89 percent

Christian: 4 percent (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%)

Muslim: 4 percent

Animist: 1 percent

Other: 2 percent

- CIA World Factbook

GateHouse News Service

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